Bracket for uncoupling-rods.



S. H. CAMPBELL.

BRACKET FOR UNCOUPLING RODS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.20. 1911.

lfiW-AQQ I Patented Mar. 18,1919.

INVENTOE.

PATENT curios.

s rnanme n. GAME/BELL, 01* ea. LOUIS, mssopm;

mmcxn'r ron uncourmne-aons.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

Application filed August 20, 1917. Serial no. 187,135.

To all "whomiz't may concern:

Be it known that I, STERLING H. CAMP- BELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States of America, have invented a certain new and useful Bracket for Uncoupling-Rods, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact descrlption as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

'My invention relates to brackets for un- I coupling rods for railway trains, and has for its object the production of brackets which will allow the removal or'insertion of the rod with the least possible trouble, and which are of such form that they may be readlly made of stamped sheet metal, thus not only reducing the amount of metal required in the bracket, but also the cost of manufacturing the brackets.

, In the accompanying. drawings, which illustrate some forms of brackets made in' accordance with my invention, Figure 1 is 'a top plan view, one reduced scale, showing so much- 0f a railwaycar as-is necessary to i'llustrate the application of my invention; Fig-2' 2 is a perspective view of the outer bracket; Fig;3 isa view similar to Fig. 2,

*but showing a modification; Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the inner bracket; and Figs. 5,6 7 and 8 are perspective views, showing various modifications ofthe outer bracket.

Like marks of reference refer to simllar parts in the several views of the drawings.

10 represents the body of a railway car, carrying the usual-draw-head 11, provided with a knuckle 12 controlled by a suitable knuckle-lock. 13 is the operating rod of the uncoupling device, which rod is'provided with an 11- wardly projecting arm 14:, connected with the knuckle-lock by means of a link 15, which link is preferably of the form shown in detail in my prior application, Serial No. 177,189, filed June 27, 1917.

The outer end of the rod 13 is supported by means of a bracket 16, and the inner end by a bracket 37. The bracket 16 is shown in detail in Fig. 2. It consists of a base plate 17, adapted to be secured'to the end of the car by means of bolts passing through the openings 18. The lower end is bent outwardly to form a supporting shelf 19, upon which the rod 13 rests, and above the shelf 19 is a projecting part 20, preferably of less width than the part 19. The parts 19 and 20 are provided with openings 21, through which passes a cotter pin 22 for securing the rod in position in the bracket. The wracket 37 at the inner end of the rod is also formed of sheet metal, and is provided with a base plate 23, adapted to be secured to the end of the car by means of bolts passing through openings 24 in the said plate. Projecting outwardly from the base plate 23 is a plate 25 having formed on it an aim 26, adapted to project over the rod 13. A second plate 27 is also provided with an arm 28 projecting over the rod and the two plates 25 and 27 are connected by an integral portion 29, bent so as to space the arms 26 and 28 a sufficient distance apart to allow the passage of the rod 13 between said arms when said rod is in a position substantially at right angles to its normal position on the car. portion 30 preferably equal in width to the part 29 is turned down at right angles to the part 29 so as to form a seat on which the rod 13 may rest.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a slight modification of the bracket shown in Fig. 2. In this modification the shelf 19 is made of greater length than in the form shown in Fig. 2, and the base plate 17 is divided into two parts, one arranged at each side of the member 20.

In Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 I have shown various further modifications of the outer bracket. In these various modifications a support 31 is formed by bending over a portion of the arm, which support 31 performs the same function as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

In the forms shown in Figs. 5 and 8 of the drawings, the base 37 .is secured against the end of the car in the same manner as has been described in connection with forms shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In the forms shown in Figs. 6 and 7, however, the bases 32 are each adapted to be secured to the upper face of some projecting portion of the car. In the form shown in Fi 8 two supporting plates are provided so t at the brackets may be used with either side. up.

In all of the forms the rod is adapted to be held in position by means of cotter pins passing through the openings 21 in two opposite sides of the pocket formed by the sheet metal, and in all forms the support shelf 19, illustrated in the forms width so as to provide a suitable wearing surface for the rod.

pin 22 is placed in The operation of my device'will be evident. When it is desired to place the rod in position upon the car the rod is first attached to the link 15 and then swung'around in a position substantially at right angles to its normal position; passed down between the arms 26 and 28 and then swung into the position shown in Fig. 1., so as to engage with the bracket 16, after which the cotter position and the rod 'is securely held in osition within the brackets. By reversing the operation, the rod can readily be detached without removing the brackets.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination with an uncoupling rod of a bracket for supporting the inner end thereof, said bracket comprising retaining surfaces embracing more than one half of the circumference of the rod when the rod is in its operating position, the rod retaining surfaces of the bracket being positioned to permit the rod to extend through.

the bracket at an angle to its operating position and to form an opening for the removal of the rod from the bracket when in such position by movement of the rod in a directlon at right angles to its length.

2. The combination with an uncoupling rod of a bracket for supporting the inner end thereof, saidbracket comprising retalningsurfaces embracing more than one half of the circumference of the rod when the rod is in its operating position, the rod retaining surfaces of the bracket being positioned to permit the rod to extend through the bracket at an angle to its operating position and to form an opening for the re moval of the rod from the bracket when in such position by movement of the rod in a directionat right angles to its length, a second bracket supporting the outer end of the rod and removable means for retaining the rod in said second bracket.

3. The combination with an uncoupling rod of abracket for supporting the outer end of the body portion of the rod, removable means for retaining the rod in said,

bracket, a second bracket supporting the inner end of the body portion of the rod and having its rod retaining surfaces positioned to permit the rod to extend through the bracket at an angle to its operating position and to form an opening permitting the removal of the rod from said bracket when said rod is in a position at a predetermined angle to its operating position.

4. The combination of an uncoupling rod and a supporting bracket for the inner end thereof, said bracket being provided with an opening for the insertion and removal of the rod, said opening extending across the bracket at an angle to' and communicating with the space in the bracket occupied by the rod when in operating position whereby the rod may extend through the bracket in a position at an angle to its operating position and may be brought to the operating position by changing the position of its axis, and retaining means preventing removal of the rod when in operating position by movement at right angles to its axis.

5. The combination with an uncoupling rod of a bracket for supporting one end of the bodyzportion thereof, said bracket having its parts positioned to permit the rod to extend through the bracket at an angle to its operating position and provided with means positioned to prevent removal of the rod from the bracket when in operating posltion by movement at right angles to the axis of the rod, said means being clear of the rod when the r is brought to a position through the b .acket at a predetermined angle to its operating position.

6. The combination with an uncouplin rod of a bracket for supporting one end 0 the body portion of the rod,"said-bracket comprising retaining members on opposite sides of the rod and connected together at one end, said retainingymembers being displaced fromeach other in the direction of the length of the rod and having their other ends separated to provide an opening for the insertion of the rod between them by mo-- tion at right angles to its axis and to permit the body portion of the rod to extend through the bracket at an angle to its operating position, one of said retaining members having a portionv positioned to extend over the rod whensame is in operating position and clear of the rod when same extends through the bracket at a predetermined angle to its operating position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and aflixed my seal.

STERLING H. CAMPBELL. [L. 5-] 

